


nightly endeavors

by jogios



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Baking, M/M, Pre-Relationship, i love dedue and i love ferdie, well not really but you'll see
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-27
Updated: 2019-10-27
Packaged: 2021-01-04 12:33:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21197717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jogios/pseuds/jogios
Summary: “Ah, well,” he started, looking rightly put out of sorts, “I was...baking.”“Baking.”“Baking!” Ferdinand barked.





	nightly endeavors

**Author's Note:**

> this is the first fanfic i've written in years and my first time posting here .. wittle nervous so yell at me if it's bad fdsbh  
ANYWAYS i love dedue and ferdie and had an idea in the shower and was like Oh.... Have to write this..   
i may continue this scenario when i have more time and or energy bc i just.. i think they're cute together :)   
OK BYE LOVE U

It was late. Not absurdly so, a few hours or so past mealtime, yet the sky was dark all the same. Dedue, wiping his palms off on his trousers and standing from the dirt of the greenhouse, took in the calm air that surrounded the monastery this time of night. It was peaceful, yet not too quiet as to achieve stillness; the cats and dogs roaming the place never seemed to be able to sit still or keep quiet for very long, though Dedue found himself appreciating that. The stillness of night used to be abrasive, for it was when the memories were doused with gas and he could do nothing but lay in the dark and mourn for times long gone.

It was a fine night, though a lot later than he had meant to stay up. Running errands with Ashe was a pastime he enjoyed, along with helping any of his class, though it did eat into his desired time with the plants. Upon being asked by his classmate for the assistance, he had amended to himself that he could just stay up a bit later than usual to attend to them. In the end, it seemed that the Professor had ended up sprinkling an expensive fertilizer (pegasus dung, he presumed), thus leading to a much more bountiful haul of flowers than he had been anticipating that all needed picking, trimming, or replanting. By the time he was done, it was the dead of night, and Dedue was finely exhausted. Labor like this soothed him, let him feel the earth beneath his calloused palms, and he would be sorely remiss to not find the time to enjoy it. 

Stepping out of his reprieve, Dedue collected his tools and set them aside for later use, cleaning them off thoroughly. Finished, he eyed his work and allowed himself a smidgen of pride, before turning his back on the flowers and soil, making his way out finally. 

It was a fine night, until it wasn't.

A loud crash came resounding from the kitchens, echoing off the bricks, and Dedue, perched at the steps leading to the dorms, paused, palming the handle of the sword at his hip discreetly. Making sure his steps were light (as light as he could be, a 6 foot man of a non-slight stature), he made the steps back towards the mess hall, eyes darting all around. After the rescue of Flayn last month, all manner of foul things ran through his mind; to think someone may yet still need apprehending was deeply troubling.

Sliding the door open slowly as to not make a sound, Dedue took stock of the area. It was dark, yet a soft light illuminated the way into the back of the mess hall, where the supplies were laid out and the cooks worked. There was no one in sight, yet a soft puttering could be heard, as though whoever was being so callous as to sneak around at night had no quarrel with being caught. 

_ Strange. _

Putting the peculiarities out of his mind, he took a few more quiet steps forward, easing his way into the mess hall even further. He caught the door as it was winding backwards, letting it fall closed silently. The puttering continued, and Dedue could make out faint speaking, though not the content of the words themselves. Along with the voice, Dedue caught a glimpse of a shadow on the wall, just one body that looked to be moving things around. A thief, perhaps? Seeing how well stocked the monastery was, it was not uncommon to see the guards escorting thieves and their ilk out in chains, caught red handed. 

Dedue cleared his head of all thoughts but the present, of all thoughts but the shadow on the wall and the feel of the grip on his sword in his fingers. 

He was close enough to touch the door into the kitchen area, but stood back for a brief second more, apprehensive. 

“Drat, it truly went everywhere,” Dedue heard through the crack in the door, “My maid would have a  _ fit _ if she saw this…”

_ Maid?  _

Dedue recognized that voice, that self-assured boasting that tore through the monastery, following at the heels of the next Adrestian Emperor. It seemed that man could not go one day without challenging Edelgard to fuel his seemingly one-sided, petty feud with her. Dimitri had commented on the situation a few times, upon witnessing it, expressing his sympathies for Edelgard, along with a word about that man’s determination; said through the sound of Dimitri’s polite laughter, of course. So, no thief, it seems, yet the question remained.

_ What the hell was Ferdinand doing? _

Dedue relaxed his posture, setting his sword back to his side and letting the tension roll from his shoulders before he opened the door. A classmate was no threat to him, hopefully.

Only for Ferdinand to damn near shriek even louder than the crash he had heard earlier at the sound of the door fully opening, the hinges in dire need of oiling. 

“Ah, Who?!” Ferdinand stumbled, whirling around to face the intruder. His face looked shocked, embarrassed, then resigned. 

“Apologies,” Dedue said, raising a hand to show no harm, “I did not mean to startle you. But…”

Dedue looked at Ferdinand, the room, then back to Ferdinand.

“What are you doing?”

The floor was caked in what seemed to be flour and eggs. A bag of both laid upended near the spill, and the noble stood in the middle, egg shells crunching underneath his boots. He looked no better than the floor. Flour stuck to his hair, face, and clothes. Other such food stuffs covered his hands, along with pots and pans littering the ground in a jumble. He held onto a half-full bag of what seemed to be sugar, and Dedue couldn’t be certain if that wasn’t also spilled onto the floor with everything else. To see Ferdinand so utterly devoid of his noble persona was... _ cute _ , if not endearing.Though, Dedue kept that thought to himself, especially considering that he himself had helped stock this kitchen from time to time. Seeing his labor rendered moot was disheartening. 

Ferdinand went redder than his hair, the color peeking out underneath the flour, staining even his ears.

“Ah, well,” he started, looking rightly put out of sorts, “I was...baking.”

“Baking.”

“Baking!” Ferdinand barked, the red fading out of his tone as he collected himself amidst the mess he had made, his posture straightening to the crunch of the eggs underneath him as he moved. 

“You see,” Ferdinand began again, his hands following his talking, shifting his grip on the bag of sugar, “I have been trying my hand at baking sweets lately. Yet, the cooks have not been so...agreeable to my newest hobby. I am afraid that they may be right in saying that I am a...nuisance to them, as they work.”

Dedue stared at him.

“Thus, I have decided to take my hobby out of their sight, to not bother them, of course.”

Ferdinand seemed to realize he was standing in a carpet of flour.

“Er, I suppose I am just as much of a bother even when they cannot see me, huh…”

Feeling charitable, Dedue stepped further into the room.

“Would you like some help?”

Ferdinand’s head whipped up to meet Dedue’s gaze, flour flying from the waves of his hair as he moved. 

“Truly? Of course, it would be rude to deny help when it is given, though seeing how it is a mess I myself have made, I am inclined-” 

Dedue raised a hand once more, though this time it’s intention was different.

“I do not mind.”

Ferdinand perked up and smiled, just in time for his grip to finally slip on the bag of sugar and to watch in horror as that, too, fell to the floor. 

Dedue grabbed a bucket. 

* * *

  
  


Sitting in the Blue Lion’s classroom, Dedue felt exhaustion tug at his body. He had ended up staying to help Ferdinand clean up for well past the time he should’ve, the noble unable to go every minute or so without reminding Dedue how  _ grateful he was, truly, _ and how Dedue  _ should not feel obligated to stay and help _ ; up until Ferdinand nearly split his head open on the wet floor, were it not for Dedue catching him, that shut him up. 

He didn’t regret helping, of course. Though, as his eyes sagged attempting to follow the lecture, maybe it was in his best interest to not allow his innate kindness to overturn his logic of  _ getting enough sleep.  _ While he may be considered one of the better, if not the best, in the class at brawling, he had no reason to let fatigue lax his attention. Dimitri had noticed, thankfully, taking notes for the both of them, though Dedue was chagrined to see his liege have to put forth more effort on his behalf. 

Gratefully, the Professor called for a quick break before stepping out of the room. The classroom erupted in chatter, Sylvain reaching around his desk to bother a petulant Felix, Ingrid keeping a watchful eye on his back. Ashe was sucked into conversation with Annette and Mercedes, and Dimitri, at his side, stretched his arms over his head before turning to fix Dedue with a concerned stare.

“You look tired, Dedue. Did you stay up late?”

Dedue winced, though it wasn’t as if he wasn’t expecting for Dimitri to comment on it eventually. He was always concerned with other people, and most times it brought Dedue joy to serve someone such as him, it did have the consequence of never being able to go without his sometimes misdirected concern or attention. 

“Yes, Your Highness,” he sighed, “I ended up tending the flowers much later than I had anticipated, and as I was-”

“ _ Dedue! _ ” 

All chatter abruptly ceased, and heads swiveled to stare at Ferdinand standing at the doorway to their class, hand raised in a wave, unabashed, head obstructing the sun in a way that had him appearing as a stand in for it. 

Dedue blinked. Of course he didn’t look tired. His smile was bright and cheery as always, dimples on full display, and to have the full of his attention and cheer had Dedue’s chest constricting for a reason he dared not name or ask questions of. 

“I just wanted to thank you for your service last night! It was much appreciated,” Ferdinand said, taking the few paces towards where Dedue sat with Dimitri near the front of the room. 

Sylvain coughed out a laugh into his fist while Felix looked plain affronted. Ashe and Annette both grew pink, attempting to draw their eyes away from the spectacle. Ingrid looked conflicted, and could only stare. Dimitri’s eyes grew wide, breathing inwards very quickly in a way that had Dedue feel a little worried, and Mercedes just let out a soft, bell-like laugh. Dedue could feel the heat of the attention sitting at his feet, and were he a lesser man, would’ve sunken deeper into his seat. It was not often he felt flustered, but the implications his classmates had taken to heart had him feeling just that, in his own, stoic way. He could only hope his expression didn’t betray him. 

Ferdinand ignored all of this, being Ferdinand. 

“I was wondering,” Ferdinand said, after coming to a stop at the foot of Dedue’s desk, and he was close enough for Dedue to realize his cravat was askew, “If perhaps you might like to help me again tonight? Of course, not for the same blunder, but I had heard from other sources you were a fine cook, and I-”

Hearing the sighs of relief littering the classroom that it was in fact,  _ not _ what they were thinking it was, Dedue cut Ferdinand off. 

“Yes.”

Ferdinand’s smile grew wider, and he opened his mouth to speak once more, yet Dedue cut him off again.

“On one condition.”

“Of course! Name your price!” 

Dedue huffed out a quiet laugh, and were his eyes open to see it, Ferdinand’s spine drew even straighter and his cheeks grew ever so rosy. 

“Allow me to carry everything this time.”


End file.
